A set of four 'Regency' Sand Pictures

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A set of four 'Regency' Sand Pictures

A set of four 'Regency' sand paintings.

A set of four 'Regency' sand paintings. Size 13 x 18 inches. In the 18th/19th Century when the House of Hanover ruled in England, 'table decking' was introduced to the court at Windsor Castle by sand artists from Germany. Originating in Europe, and probably based on the Japanese craft of bonseki (tray painting), marmotinto was fleetingly popular in England following a 1783 dinner party given by George 111 at Windsor Castle- the King was taken with a display of unfixed coloured sands, sugars and marble dust arranged under glass upon the surface of the dinner table in decorative patterns and including fruit & flowers, and exotic birds which was executed by a bavarian table decker named Benjamin Zobel, a friend of George Moorland, a painter prominent in the 'Isle of Wight School'. The King and his courtiers were so impressed with the resulting picture, it was suggested that Zobel find a way to make his compositions permanent and hence the craft of 'marmotinto' or sand painting was born and proved most succesful under the patronage of various members of the Royal household including the then Duke of York, who commisioned a number of works by Zobel.